Theatrical



L McCORMlCK THEAIRICAL APPLIANCE.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 19!]. 1,324,680. Patented Dec. 9,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I Len 13d on M Cormick alto (M21 L. McCORMlCK..

THEATRICAL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. m1.

1 24,680. 1 Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- L angdon M Cor-mick L. McCORMlCK.

THEATRICAL APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED lUNE a. 1911.

Pafented Dec. 9, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3. v

awuewtoz Langdon M Uormick L. McCORMlCK.

THEATRICAL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8. 1911-.

Lqt zgdon Cormick M Y emm Patented Dec. 9, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEETS.

L. McCORMICK.

THEATRICAL APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-8. 19!]. 1,324,680.

*onrrnn srarns reruns enrich.

LANGDON IJicCORMICK,DF NE 'W YORK, N. Y. I

,rnEATnIcAL arrrrnivcn.

To all whmn it may 00mm.-

Be it known that 1, LAN coon MCCORMICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Theatrical Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in theatrical appliances.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for producing illusionary effects, in that an object, say a ship, is made to appear as coming from afar off toward an audience, until at the limit of its forward movement at the front of the stage, the combined movement of the parts and the illusion produced thereby is convincing that the ship has sailed from many miles away up to the audience. This apparent long distance sailing of the ship is purely illusion-- ary, although the ship does actually move forward on the stage in the practical oper ation of the invention.

To successfully carry out the illusioinit is essential that the ship he moved forward a limited distance, and in addition it must/ be gradually elevated, and the scenic arrangement representing the water must be such as to indicate that the water is actually displaced as the ship approaches the front of the stage.

One of the principal objects of my pres after described and particularly pointed out.

in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of my im= provement applied to a stage, the ship being indicated as afar ofl.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the ship being indicated as having approached the audience.

in the same position shown inFigz l.

Fig. 4 is a sii'nilarview, the parts beingv in the position shown in Fig. 1-.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. 3 is a section of a stage showing dia grammatically my lnvention, the parts being Patented Dec. 9, 191 9.

Application filed June 8, 1917. Serial'No. 173,599.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the scenic appliance to represent the sea.

F 1g. 6 is an enlarged front elevation of one of the frames forming part of the sea structure, and the ship on its truck.

F1g. 7 1s a plan new of a pair of the names of the sea scene, same being folded 1n dotted lines. I

Fig. 8 1s a detail plan view of a modified form of trip for the frames.

F152;. 9 1S a detail vlew representing a modified form of supportlng the fabric on the frames.

construction. 7 11 is a side elevation of the same. 12 is a detail front elevation of the ship used in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

Fig. 13 is a detail view of the gearing. l indicates a stage, and 2, rails thereon. Extending transversely of the stage and the rails are frames 3, each provided with wheels at, which travel back and forth on the rails The frames are normally spaced apart and successively increase in height from front to rear, the upper end of the succeeding frame extending above the hori zontal plane of the top of the preceding rams. The frames 3 are interconnected by longitudinal sub-frames 5, formed in sections 6-6, and are fastened together at their meetingends by a butt hinge '7. The outer ends of each section of the sub-frames are hinged to the adjacent transverse frames 8, as indicated at S. There are several subframes 5 between adjacent main frames 3, and they may be manually operated by a cable 10, to break the joints 7, to permit the frames 3 to collapse, or the joints 7 may be automatically broken, as will hereinafter appear. I

0n the rear upper part of each main frame 8, are'guide pulleys 1-1, and passing over these pulleys are ropes 12, the rear ends of which are attached to the front upper portion of the next succeeding frame 3,

-while at their forward ends the ropes are provided with weights 13. w The ropes incline upwardly from front to rear, and support fabric sheets 14, loosely attached at their front ends to the rear of the "frames 3, some distance below the top 10 is'a plan view of a modified form;

thereof, while the rear ends of the sheets extend overthe top of the next succeeding frame. The sheets are supported on the ropes to prevent sagging, and when the frames are folded or collapsed, the sheets fold in small ruffles to give the appearance of ripples or small waves.- The sheets may be painted to represent water, but to produce this effect I primarily depend upon properly disposed lamps 15, properly shaded to bring out the water effect. When the sections 3 are open, the ropes tend to keep the sheets under proper tension, and as they incline they present the appearance of a vast area of water, the various steps formed by the frames being individually lost in or absorbed by the rays of shaded light.

In front of the foremost frame 3, is a bevel front section 18, the surface of which may be painted to blend with the shaded lights to represent a part of the scenic water efiect.

On the stage is a track 19, and on this track travels a truck 20,,mounted on wheels and adapted to be moved back or forth on the stage, this depending entirely on whether or not the effect desired is to show a shipcoming dead ahead toward the audience, or receding therefrom.

The truck is provided with a pair of vertical grooved standards 22, and slidably mounted therein is a base 23. On the base is secured a panel 2%, shaped and painted to represent a front view of a boat, but it is to be understood that other objects may be represented, and furthermore that if the illusionary effect is to represent a boat or other object going away from the audience, the representation will be that of a view from the rear. The base 23 is provided with a threaded opening, and engaging therewith is a screw or jack 25 rotatable in a bearing 26, and on the lower end of the screw is a beveled gear wheel 27.

Supported on the truck is a motor 28, and geared thereto is a beveled gear wheel 29, which meshes with the beveled gear wheel 27. to rotate the screw.

Gn one of the shafts carrying the wheels of the truck is a sprocket wheel 30, around which passes a chain 31 operated by the motor. The motor is controlled by a conveniently located switch to actuate the parts according to the desired effect sought, and the intermediate gearing 30 is such as to slowly move the truck and the ship.

In operation the frames 3 are arranged on'the rails, as shown in Figs. 3, 4c and 5. the truck carrying the representation of the ship being interposed between two of the frames. The frames 3, in front of the truck, are spaced apart, the sub-frames 5 holding them locked in this position, while the frames 3, and the sub-frames in rear of the truck are in a collapsed state. At this time the base carrying the representation of the boat is in its lowest position, as'

shown in Fig. 3, and the frame behind the truck is secured thereto, and the rearmost frame is made rigid with the stage. With the apparatus thus set up, the lamps are lighted, and viewing the scene from the front, the view presents a distant ship in an open sea. The switch is closed, and the motor is started, and through the gearing the truck carrying the ship moves slowly toward the front of the stage, and simultaneously therewith it is gradually elevated. The string controlling the hinged subframes directly in front of the truck is pulled to break the joints and simultaneously with the forward movement of the truck the collapsed sections in rear thereof are gradually drawn forward and eventu ally open up the same as the frames in front. As the truck comes up to the frame in front of it, the rope controlling the next series of sub-frames is pulled, and the pre ceding frame is gradually advanced, and so onuntil the ship arrives at the front of the stage, as shown in the diagram, Fig. 4. At this time all the frames 3, in front of the boat are collapsed, while the frames in the rear have opened up, giving the impression from the audience that the ship has actually moved through the water from afar off to a point very near. As the frames are collapsed, the fabric sheets fold up, are cordion-like on the ropes, giving one the impression that the water is full of small ripples, while the sheets in rear of the boat depict a vast open sea.

When the operation started, the ship appeared down deep in the water, as shown in Fig. 1. This produces the effect of a ship afar off, particularly as the water scenic effect presents a vast sea area in front of the ship. Then as the apparatus moves toward the front, the ship is slowly elevated, which with the diminishing sea area in front, due to the collapsing of the frames, gives the impression that the ship is steadily increasing in size as it approaches the front of the stage.

It will of course be understood that as the frames collapse, the weight-s 13 retain the ropes taut, to form a graceful support-for the folded fabric.

While I prefer to employ the ropes 12, especially when the representation of the sea is on a large scale, yet in many instances it is not absolutely essentia. F or instance, as illustrated in Fig. 9, the fabric sheets are shown suspended between frames, hence when the frames collapse, the fabric simply hangs between the frames in the form. of a loop.

In practical use, the apparatus produces the illusion that the ship is actually coming through the sea, while the arrangement shown and described to represent the sea appears like a vast unobstructed area, the lines of demarcation between the frames being completelylost to view from the audience.

This illusion is due to the stepped arrangement of the frames, for obviously viewing the apparatus from the front, and since the sheets are all alike, the portions extending above the frames merge into each other.

As previously stated, in lieu of having an attendant pull ropes to collapse the subframes, they may just as well be automatically released as the truck advances. A rod 40 extends from the truck. On the end and on the rod is a cam 41, which is in the path of cams 42, on the ends of rods 43, projecting from the sub-frames 5 in lieu of the ropes. It follows that as the truck advances, the cams will automatically break the hinge joints and permit of the various sections folding, as previously described.

In lieu of the collapsing frames to produce the illusion that the ship is sailing at sea, I may produce substantially the same result by means of a slowly moving belt, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

In this form of the invention, it is possible to produce the effect in two ways. Thenumeral 45 indicates a front shaft provided with a drum 46; and47 indicates a rearshaft having mounted thereon a drum 48. A broad web 49 is fastenedat its ends to the drums 46 and 48, and is provided with an opening 50, through which the representation of a ship 51 extends. The rear shaft is in a higher plane than the front shaft to normally incline the web, to produce to the audience the illusionaryefiect of open sea.

a broad The shaft 45 is rotated by a motor 52, and

on said shaft are beveled pinio-ns 58, which mesh with pinions 54 on counter shafts 55. The countershafts 55, are provided with slidably mounted beveled pinions 55 which mesh with beveled pinions 55 on screw shafts 55 operating in threaded lugs 55*.

extending from the ship 51. On the end of shaft 45, is a beveled pinion 53 which meshes with a beveled pinion, 54 011 a shaft 54. The opposite end of the counter shaft is provided with a beveled gear 56, which meshes with a beveled pinion on a shaft 57, the latter having at its opposite end a worm gear 58, which engages with a worm 59. The worm 59 is provided with a threaded opening through which extends a screw 60, the upper end of the latter engaging under a frame 61, which carries the bearings for the rear shaft. The ge ring is preferably duplicated on both sides of the web.

By this construction, when the web is fed H is for the purpose of showing a-wvider sea described is substantially the same in principle asft-ha't described heretofore in connection with the preferred form of the invention, hence it will not be described in detail. Suilicient to say that the represen-,

tation of the ship extends through the opening 50. When the apparatus is 111 normal posltion, the ship of course is in its lowest )osition but as the web advances the shiy is slowly elevated by the screws 55 but this movement is much slower than in the first form of the invention, due to the fact that because of the inclination of the web as it descends, the lower portion of the ship is automatically but gradually exposed to view as it moves forward with the web. This vertical movement must be augmented in iany cases, hence the ship is raised by the motor arrangement before described, and to properly time the forward movement,

bles '65extend from the truck to drums on the front shaft 45, the ship of course, in this instance, being geared to shaft 45, to elevate the ship through the opening 50.

For certain illusionary efiects, for instance where a ship does not have to be elevated tothe same extent as previously described, the representation of the ship fixed on a truck can be projected through the opening 50 in the web. it follows, in a case like this, that it is not necessary to elevate the ship, for obviously as the inclined web is rolled on the front drum, and the truck advances, the exposed area of the ship will slowly increase and produce the desired result without the use of gearing.

My invention is not limited in its appli- Then again, if the illusion is to represent an 1 object disappearing from the audience, the movement of the various parts will be reversed. That is to say, if a ship is to be depicted as leaving a port, the representation of the rear of the ship when starting the operation, will be at the front of the stage and elevated, and the frames in front willbe collapsed, while those at the rear will 7 be in open position. Obviously the illusion here produced when the apparatus is operated, will be that of a ship going from the aucience out to sea. 5 1

Tam aware of the fact that it is old in the artto produce the illusion herein referred to by means of screens, for instance as shown and described in Patent No.1,15eh787, but so far as I am aware it is new broadl to prod co the result by means of actually moring the representation of the ship toward the audience, and simultaneously actuate a scenic area in such manner as to give the impression that the ship actually sails through or on the water.

What I claim is:

l. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary effects, comprising a movable base to represent the area over or on which a n object is passing, and an object extending through undmorable with the movable base and arranged to be slowly moved through the base to represent increase or decrease in the size of the object as it moves with the base.

2. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary effects, comprising a movable base to represent the area over or on which an object is passing, and an object extending through and movable in unison with the movable base, means for raising the object through the base, and means for moving the base and object in unison to represent in crease or decrease in the size of the object with reference to the base.

In a theatrical apparatus for producing illusionary effects, t 1e combination of a movable object, a structure representing an area in or on which the movable object travels, and means for simultaneously moving the object and the area structure surrounding same across platform in the same direction to produce the illusionary effect of the object increasing or decreasing in size and moving in or on the area surrounding same.

i. In a theatrical apparatus for producing illusionary effects, the combination of a movable object, a structure representing an area in or on which the movable object travels, means for simultaneously moving the object and the area structure surrounding same across a platform in the same direction, and means for raising the object thereby appearing to increase its size to produce the illusionary effect of the object moving in or on the surrounding same.

theatrical appliance for producing illusionary eli'ects comprising a base inclined on its upper surface and representing an area over or on which an object is passing, means for imparti a movement to the base, an object extending through the inclined portion of the base and i lovable with the moving part thereof to produce the illusionary effect of the object moving toward or away from an audience.

(3. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary effects comprising a base formed of a plurality of spaced frames, flexible connections attached. to the rear portion of the preceding 1" 'ames below the top thereof and extending over the succeeding frames to represent an area over or on which an object is passing, means for successively collapsing the frames, and an object moved with the frames whencollapsing to produce the illu- 7O sionary effect that the object is coming forward or receding.

7. A theatrical appliancc'for producing illusionary effects comprisin a plurality of frz mes connected together at their upper por tions by flexible material, the flexible mate rial at the fr nt ends being attached to the rear of the frames below the top thereof, means connecting the frames, an obj ect movable with the frames as they collapse, and 80 means for moving the frames to collapse same in front of-the object and to expand the frames in rear of the object.

8. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary effects comprising a plurality of frames, each succeeding frame increasing in height, collapsible frames intermediate the first mentioned frames, flexible material extending from the rear upper portion of the precedin frame to the top of the succeeding 9 frame, an object movable only when any one of the firs mentioned frames moved to produce the illusionary effect of the object increasing- Gr decreasing in size, a -d means for successively collapsing the frames in front of the object and expanding the frames in rear of the object.

9. A theatrical appliance for producing illusiouary effects com ising :1 pl uralitv of frames of different sights and connecta'ad 1W at their upper ends by fl -'ible object associated with the frames, mca collapsing the frames adjacent the ol ,e-. 1 t represent the hicrcase in size of said object and simultaneously expand the frames on the opposite sideof the object to represent an increase in area surromuling the ob}: I

10. A theatrical appliance for prodm m illusionary effects comprisim collapsible frames of different nected by flexible mater al. a

seuting an. object on or i the area formed Y Ye "rames and flexible material. and b3 th I I,

means for moving the frame repres the object and collapsing the frame direction of movement of said obj expanding the frames trailing the ol 11. A theatrical appliance compi plurality of spaced frames and a phi of col apsed fram s, all the frames hc' terconnectcd b v flexible material, located between the two sets of f I means for moving the object sinuili'eneously expanding the collapsed frames and collapsing the exp nded frames to produce 125 the illusionary effect of the object coming forward or receding.

12(A theatrical appliance comp 1 base representing a ea area, the r l e face of'whi'ch'is liexi ole and collapsible, and 180 an object representing a ship movable when the flexible part of the base is collapsed or expanded to produce the illusionary eflect of the ship coming head on or receding.

13. A theatrical appliance comprising a plurality of frames, the upper ends of succeeding frames being higher than preceding frames, part of said frames being collapsed and part of said frames being spaced apart, cables extending from the top of the frames to the rear of the preceding frames below the top of the latter, flexible material supported on the ropes, an object projecting through the flexible material, and means for moving the object and collapsing the spaced frames and expanding the collapsed frames.

14. A theatrical appliance comprising a plurality of frames, the upper ends of succeeding frames being higher than preceding frames, part of said frames being collapsed and part of said frames being spaced apart, cables extending from the top of the frames to the rear of the preceding frames below the top of the latter, flexible material supported on the ropes, an object projecting through the flexible material, and means for simultaneously elevating the object and moving same longitudinally and collapsing the spaced frames and expanding the collapsed frames.

15. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary' effects, comprising .a movable base to represent an area over or on which an object is passing, and an object movable in unison with and extending above the movable base, and means for slowly moving the object to increase or decreasethe visible area above the base when the latter is moved across a platform to represent increase or decrease in size of the object ,as it moves with said base.

16. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary eflects, comprising a. movable flexible base to represent an area over or on which an object is passing, an object movable in the same direction as the base and extending above same, and means between the movable base and the object to cause the visible area of the'object above the base to appear to increase or decrease in size as said object moves across a platform, means for moving the base in front and rear of the object to represent decrease in the visible area of the base in front of the object and represent increase in the visible area of the base in rear of the object.

17. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary efiects, comprising two movable objects, one extending above the surface of the other, one of the movable objects representing an area over or on which the other movable object is passing, the extended object appearing to be on or in the area, and

means for simultaneously moving both ob ects across a platform and simultaneously increasing or decreasing the visible area of platform to increase or decrease its visible area to represent increase or decrease in the size of the object.

19. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary effects comprising a plurality of frames of diflerent heights and connected at their upper ends by flexible material, an object movable with the frames as they col lapse, andmeans for moving the frames to collapse same in front of the object and to expand the frames in rear of the object.

20. A theatrical appliance comprising a base representing a sea area and which is movable across a platform,-the visible surface of the base being flexible, and an object representing a ship passing on or over the sea area and projecting through said area, and rneansfor vertically moving the object above the sea area to increase or decrease the visible portion to produce the eflect that the ship is increasing or decreasing in size as the base moves.

21. A theatrical appliance comprising a base having a rearwardly inclined flexible top portion to represent an area on or over which an ob ect 1s passlng, means for moving the base across a platform, and an object extending through the flexible portion of the base and movable over the platform in unison with and in: the same direction as the flexible portion, whereby when the flexible portion and the object move forward the object appears to increase in size andwhen said flexible portion recedes the object appears to diminish in size.

22. A theatrical appliance for producing illusionary effects, comprising a movable base to represent an area over or on which an object is passing, an object movable in unison with and in the same direction as the movable base, and means for creating relative movement between the base and the object to slowly increase or decrease the visible areaof the object above the base to represent increase or decrease in size of said object as it moves with the base.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LANGDON MoCORMIGK. 

